STAMFORD -- As the school year starts and the weather cools, officials don't know quite what to expect from swine flu, the H1N1 virus, which is expected to join the seasonal flu when the viruses begin circulating in earnest as early as October.

"Based on the information we have now, we anticipate there will be cases of H1N1, and we don't have any reason to think otherwise. We have to be prepared for a resurgence for H1N1," said Dr. Johnnie Lee, director of the city health department.

In preparation, Stamford's public school system has purchased wall-mounted hand sanitizer dispensers for every classroom and Purell hand sanitizer to fill them, according to Sarah Arnold, the school district spokeswoman.

In addition, posters touting preventive practices, like coughing into sleeves, have been printed for classrooms and common areas, she said.

As of Aug. 12, Connecticut had 1,910 confirmed cases of swine flu, with 136 hospitalizations and 9 deaths related to swine flu, according to CT Flu Watch, part of the state's Web site.

On Sunday, Gov. M. Jodi Rell's office announced that once the swine flu vaccine was available, it would be provided for free. The most vulnerable groups -- pregnant women, children ages 6 months to 4 years old, children ages 5 to 18 with chronic medical conditions, individuals who care for children and health care professionals with direct patient contact -- will be given priority.

No decision has been made as to whether schools will serve as vaccine centers, Lee said.

The swine flu vaccine is to become available sometime in October, as is the vaccine for the seasonal flu, according to Artealia Gilliard, a federal Centers for Disease Control spokeswoman.

"We don't know what is going to happen this fall or winter," she said, "But we are anticipating we are going to have more flu-like illness."

The increase is not guaranteed, however, since swine flu has already behaved unexpectedly, by causing widespread illness this year after the flu season ended in March, Gilliard said.

As the seasonal flu and swine flu circulate, those who get sick are unlikely to be able to tell the difference, she said.

Good cough and hand hygiene is an important way to stop spread of disease. Children are being taught to sneeze into the crook of their arms, use tissues and wash their hands with soap. Hand sanitizer is effective as well, though it is a second choice, she said.

There are two other important ways to prevent transmission -- people should avoid touching their faces with their hands, and those who are sick should not just stay home from work, but avoid going out to public places, she said.

In Stamford, parents will be asked to keep sick children at home, Lee said. Absenteeism in schools will also monitored for clues as to the effect of swine flu, he said.

CDC data has indicated that school closures last spring were ineffective at stemming the spread of the virus and no threshold has been set to require school closures, he said.

Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Diarrhea and vomiting have also been

reported.

Staff Writer Wynne Parry can be reached at 203-964-2263 or wynne.parry@scni.com.